Computer Related > Anybody else use Virgin ADSL broadband?	Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Manatee	Replies: 19

New Tue 31 Aug 10 20:49   Anybody else use Virgin ADSL broadband? - Manatee

We returned from holiday yesterday to no broadband. Using the mobile dongle, eventually managed to connect to the Virginmedia service status page to find that their ADSL broadband is down. Other than a 'red light' against the ADSL service there's no apology, explanation, estimated time to fix etc. Nor have they sent out any emails (mail is working provided you have another means of connecting to the internet) and it's still down over 24 hours later, last updated 20.04 tonight. Maybe they're assuming that most of their customers can't connect anyway so there's no point giving information! I think this is very poor and I'm inclined to change ISP. Is that a good idea or are they all as bad? Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 31 Aug 10 20:54   Anybody else use Virgin ADSL broadband? - smokie

I'm Virgin, but cable, not ADSL. Have been for years, and their service is much better than any other I've had, and I seem to have very few problems with it. Also their help desk are sometimes quite helpful. You usually get a more useful message when you call through to them (150 or 151 from your Virgin landline, I forget which) giving info on outages while you wait for someone to answer. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 31 Aug 10 21:03   Anybody else use Virgin ADSL broadband? - Stuartli

>>Also their help desk are sometimes quite helpful>> Really..:-) Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 31 Aug 10 21:19   Anybody else use Virgin ADSL broadband? - Old Navy

I have used Virgin ADSL for years, (I am using it now), The only problems I have had have been a rare email outage and one complete failure. I phoned the helpdesk and they told me that the fault was in my local exchange and the engineers were working on it. Six hours down in more years than I can remember is OK for me. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 31 Aug 10 21:29   Anybody else use Virgin ADSL broadband? - rtj70

I used Virgin Media cable (NTL to start with) from 2000 to 2009 but moved. Decided to try BT at this house to keep the old BT number etc. VM cable was extremely reliable and only failed about 3 times in those 9.5 years. One was due to a lightning strike and we soon got another set top box in the house to host internet. So all in all very good. I wonder if VM ADSL uses someone else and is not local loop unbundled in your area, e.g. BT Openreach? Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 31 Aug 10 21:41   Anybody else use Virgin ADSL broadband? - FocalPoint

I used to use Virgin ADSL, but the speed got slower and slower. I changed to BT, got a cheaper deal and five times the speed. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 31 Aug 10 21:55   Anybody else use Virgin ADSL broadband? - Old Navy

Mine is running ar 3.8Mb as always, I am exchange distance limited and not cabled. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 31 Aug 10 22:09   Anybody else use Virgin ADSL broadband? - Manatee

>>I wonder if VM ADSL uses someone else and is not local loop unbundled in your area, e.g. BT Openreach? Not LLU. The main problem here is a poor and long line. But at the moment I have ADSL sync, just no internet connection. I have just called the 0845 support number and been through about 6 layers of button pressing. The rep I eventually spoke to can't confirm or otherwise whether there is a problem because "ours systems are down. Can you call again tomorrow". I feel we are at the end of the road here. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 31 Aug 10 22:20   Anybody else use Virgin ADSL broadband? - Old Navy

Must be a localised problem, mine is OK, (as you can see). Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 31 Aug 10 22:55   Anybody else use Virgin ADSL broadband? - bathtub tom

I'm with them, but intend to get out as soon as my contract allows. I originally had a 1Mb and free evening and weekend calls package. I realised I could get better elsewhere, particularly as I was often only getting less than 10Kb. They offered 'up to' 8Mb with the same call package for 25% less, but I've been frequently overcharged and had to threaten them with the ombudsman before they honoured the agreement. I often get 3Mb, but the speed can drop off to Kb, particularly late at night. I've found their support to be premium rate tosh. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 31 Aug 10 23:00   Anybody else use Virgin ADSL broadband? - rtj70

Just to annoy Zero ;-) I only get 38Mbit/s download and 8Mbit/s upload. He'll have to work out which fibre cabinet in my area to inject the foam to. There are a lots - multiple on some streets. I know from the Nynex boxes locally I could get probably 50Mbit/s with them but the 8Mbit/s upload is proving very good. Sorry Zero. :-) Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 31 Aug 10 23:03   Anybody else use Virgin ADSL broadband? - Zero

Seemples, any box in a street with a mazda 5 sport. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 31 Aug 10 23:05   Anybody else use Virgin ADSL broadband? - rtj70

Edit: for gamers by ping can be slow though. It can be 19ms in the UK and as high as 30ms to Europe. Download from Madrid is a slow 9.4Mbs but upload is 7.5Mbs. Anyone else though about either Virgin Media cable (Excellent IMO) or BT Infinity. And I don't drive a Mazda5 and never did. It's a Mazda6 Sport. The BT fibre cabinet is not on our street though. It's about 100 yards away around the corner. The car is a grey colour though. Edit2: Mazda5 or Mazda6.... there is no space. Call yourself educated ;-) I am jesting! Last edited by: rtj70 on Tue 31 Aug 10 at 23:06 Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 31 Aug 10 23:08   Anybody else use Virgin ADSL broadband? - Zero

Thanks for confirming the car. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 31 Aug 10 23:16   Anybody else use Virgin ADSL broadband? - rtj70

I hear BT are rolling out their Infinity product to area likely to take up the availability. I would think down south is ideal. Surely the north west is not more important? Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 1 Sep 10 20:12   Anybody else use Virgin ADSL broadband? - Manatee

Well, it's finally back. Apparently there was a fibre cable break and they have replaced a 4.4km cable run. No faster though - still 500Kbps. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 1 Sep 10 20:20   Anybody else use Virgin ADSL broadband? - Zero

The string dried out. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 1 Sep 10 20:24   Anybody else use Virgin ADSL broadband? - Manatee

.. or somebody nicked the cocoa tins. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 1 Sep 10 21:41   Anybody else use Virgin ADSL broadband? - rtj70

I was new to xDSL in June this year and my connection was also very slow. It turned out to be the star-wiring of the phone sockets in the house and not xDSL at all. If you have a star wired phone system, i.e. from a junction box before the first BT phone socket there are wires going to other sockets... this could be your problem. The main socket in the hall which is where the modem plugs in is not the first BT box in the house - there was one in the cellar. Removing the extra wire that goes upstairs fixed the speed problem. Previous occupants must have had poor connection speeds and put up with it. More fool them. My speed then jumped from around 512Kbit/s to 38Mbit/s. If I was on an upto 8Mbit/s speed I might have thought I needed to accept that. Have you any neighbours also using the same exchange for ADSL and what speeds do they get. It would rule out distance for starters. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 1 Sep 10 23:51   Anybody else use Virgin ADSL broadband? - Manatee

The phone wiring here was a mess. I got an ex-BT bloke in the village to rewire it all. I still had lots of drop-outs and poor speeds. Eventually I ended up with two BT vans outside. The BT chaps said "we don't wire them like that any more" and swapped all the connections round. They put in a filtered master socket and some sort of filter on the line where it comes in. They said I'd never get more than 1Mbps. Usually it's 500-700Kbps or a bit less at peak times. The fastest I know of locally is about 2Mbps; I think he has a very good line (so does he - he's ex-BT himself and worked on the development data services). Reply to this message | Report message